This little roadside diner is one of the few businesses you'll find in the small town of Avoca, Michigan. It isn't flashy, but places like this are part of what makes exploring the back roads so much fun. Small-town diners have a personality all their own, and this one looks like it's been welcoming hungry locals for generations. 10-08
The building dates to 1898, although it's not known exactly when it became a restaurant. Today, K's Diner serves up hearty breakfasts, lunches, homemade soups, burgers, pancakes, meatloaf, and other comfort food favorites. Friday nights are especially popular thanks to an all-you-can-eat fish and chicken dinner that draws people from around the area.
I've always enjoyed stumbling across places like this. They may not have a giant neon sign out front, but they're often the kind of restaurant where the coffee keeps coming, the portions are generous, and everyone feels like a regular.
UPDATE: K's Diner is still open and continues serving the Avoca community from its historic building. 06-26
Franks Diner
Kenosha, WI Photo and info courtesy chibbqking
Franks Diner is one of those places every diner fan should visit at least once. Sitting in downtown Kenosha since 1926, this little lunch car has been serving hearty breakfasts for nearly a century. Even though the Franks family sold the business in 2001, the diner has remained remarkably unchanged, which is exactly how regulars like it. 05-09
Built by the Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company in New Jersey, the diner made its way to Wisconsin by rail before being pulled into place by a team of six horses. Over the years, dining room and kitchen additions were built around the original lunch car, but the historic diner still sits at the heart of the restaurant.
One of the most popular items on the menu is the famous "Garbage Plate," a generous combination of eggs, hash browns, meat, vegetables, and cheese all mixed together on the griddle. It may not sound elegant, but it's become a Kenosha tradition and has even been featured on national television.
UPDATE: Franks Diner remains open and continues serving customers nearly 100 years after it first opened. The historic O'Mahony diner survives, making it one of the oldest continuously operating lunch-car diners in the country. 06-26
K's Diner
Franks Diner
