26 minutes ago, haresfur said:
Diners originated from horse-drawn food carts catering to the working class at a time in America when restaurants catered to the wealthy (although I think working class bars often served food at the time; need to check Imbibe by David Wondrich for the timelines). Started in the northeast but can be found across the country. They morphed into a uniquely American form of sit-in dining and are embedded in the cultural DNA.
Diners were originally (generally, anyway) pre-fabricated and moved to the site. This defined the classic diner architecture. They were often added onto later. The Wikipedia article has some pictures and decent info. Also check out an article from the Smithsonian Magazine.
So characteristic features (not all have to be present) include
- Metal wall construction, often with rounded corners and ceilings
- Dining counter with stools
- Booths and possibly tables
- Short-order cook often works in the open behind the counter.
- Serve breakfast all day
- Frequently open 24 hours so become a focus for night workers and partiers
- Typical breakfasts: Eggs any style (except usually not poached!), bacon, sausage, hash browns, weak coffee with free refills, pancakes, waffles
- Classic lunch/dinner: Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, club sandwiches, chili, burgers, French fries, hot roast beef with mash, and of course pie.
I think the closest British equivalent would be a caff.
The Hopper art is a coffee shop not a diner.
I don't think that wiki thing gets it right. Horse drawn carts have nothing to do with diners.
"Weak coffee" oh really?
"Originally prefab" oh really? Maybe later when there was a shortage of railroad cars.
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