Girard Dinor
Home Cookin’ & a History Lesson
The Girard Dinor
A Restaurant Review
Issues with my laptop found me in Girard to give it a tuneup. When I finally arrived at the store, a sign announced the proprietor had stepped out for lunch. Just my luck!
Then I recalled I hadn’t eaten all day and several eateries were just a few blocks away. Just my luck, indeed!
Did you know that drivers in Girard can ignore the Pennsylvania crosswalk laws? Apparently, it’s true. Lunch Mate & I bounded across Route 18 that runs through downtown, taking our life in our hands, with nary a vehicle decelerating to accommodate us. Well, to misquote Nietzsche, What doesn’t kill you, makes you hungrier, as we finally entered the Girard Dinor.
Yes, dinor. That’s what the sign says and according to the website, A Way with Words, this spelling is a variant is largely limited to northwestern Pennsylvania. So, I guess if you’re ever lost, but you see the word dinor, you at least you know you’re somewhat kind of near Presque Isle, right?
Entering the dinor, the first thing I noticed was an old-fashioned 10-stool lunch counter, which made me think I can’t actually recall the last time I saw one outside the movies. Quaint as it was, we still decided to grab a booth.
Before and after we placed our lunch order, we took in the ambience of the place. With country music piped in overhead, we observed the location’s décor which featured Girard history, replete with old maps, photos and other paper keepsakes framed and mounted on the walls. With so much history around, the only thing to take our eyes off the objects were our meals when they arrived.
I started my meal with raspberry iced tea and Chicken Noodle Soup. While I prefer my soup a little thicker, the saltines provided took care of that issue, while the soup’s rich flavor couldn’t be beat.
Though offering up the standard diner”sorry dinor”fare such as a grilled ham & cheese sandwich, a hot meatloaf sandwich and tuna melts, we both opted for something unique: a Baby T-Rex and a Manny sandwich.
My oddly named Baby T-Rex hardly consisted of anything prehistoric: rather, it was a beef burger with sauteed onions, mushrooms, lettuce and tomato served on hot grilled bread. Though I found it a sloppy-to-eat entree, I appreciated that I could taste each fresh ingredient, rather than one or two that overpower the rest. And even with a still hot, heapin’ helpin’ of shoestring french fries as a side, I nonetheless managed to drive Baby T-Rex to extinction”girdle, be damned!
Lunch Mate maybe had a hankerin’ for something besides her meal when she ordered her Manny sandwich (see above picture). Composed of sweet, spicy roast beef, Swiss cheese, coleslaw and french fries it was all contained within two slices of Italian bread. Swiss, French and Italian? Maybe they should rename it the United Nations sandwich?
After the two yummy sandwiches, we were still both a little hungry, so why order not dessert?
I eyed the milkshake machine with visions of an old-fashioned chocolate milkshake with whipped cream and a cherry on top to finish my meal; Lunch Mate was hankering for a slice of homemade peach pie. But it was not meant to be. Why? The solitary waitress was yapping with customers at the other end of the dinor. For about 15 minutes. By the time she made an appearance at our table and asked if we needed anything else, as an ex-friend of mine used to say, the moment had passed.
Heads up: Looking to be your own boss? Hard to believe, but this sweet little dinor is for sale! Looky-loos invited.
Stop in, have a bite and get a little history lesson by reading the walls. But just remember: If you’re really hungry, make sure you order your dessert with your entree!
See you in the cafeteria, children!
The Girard Dinor is located at 222 Main St., W, Girard. Hours are Wednesday “ Monday 7:30 a.m. “ 2:30 p.m.
***The Lunch Lady
