The most profoundly nostalgic lunch I ever had.

[Aqua Letifer]

A lot of places play on nostalgia. And I absolutely fucking hate the vibe of those places.

"Look at us, we're an Authentic American Diner! The jukebox is a prop from Total Amusement Solutions and the Frank Sinatra shit on the walls was made by Amazon Basics, but come on in and experience America at its finest! Warm up with our 'Fair Trade Cuppa Joe,' and get ready for your long haul on Route 66 with our 'America's Highway Impossible Burger,' with ethically-sourced farm-to-table cheddar cheese and our own special avocado buns. Located in the middle of any strip mall that would astound and offend any 20th century family, Authentic American Diner is here to serve!"

This place is different. It's just old. And my God, everything about it is old.

• The posters and décor look like they're from the 80s because they are. Down to the posters and the countertops.
• The chicken sandwich is made with lettuce, tomatoes, and chicken that, no shit, came from the grocery store. The fries were made the old way, with the saturated fat oil that makes them extra light and fluffy.
• They have soft serve. Vanilla, chocolate, or swirl, small/medium/large, cup or cone. That's it. And the cups are styrofoam.
• Speaking of which, the food comes served on trays any pre-internet fast food place would have. The fries come in the exact same paper baskets I was given at the concession stand at my high school football games. They make funnel cakes using the exact same dough/batter I remember, served on Dixie paper plates. The ketchup and mustard comes out of metal dispensers and you're given those little paper cups to bring it back to your table. The fucking sodas come in coca-cola paper cups with red straws.

Nothing about this place is modern. Absolutely nothing. For 25 minutes today, I was 13 again.

[George K]

That's wonderful.

No pretense.

No BS.

We is what we is, and that is what we were.

[Aqua Letifer]

@George-K said in The most profoundly nostalgic lunch I ever had.:

That's wonderful.

No pretense.

No BS.

We is what we is, and that is what we were.

I looked really hard to find an inconsistency. They don't even have a URL anywhere.

I'm going here once a week now.

[Horace]

Looks like a good place. What did you order? Was it good?

[Aqua Letifer]

@Horace said in The most profoundly nostalgic lunch I ever had.:

Looks like a good place. What did you order? Was it good?

Chicken sandwich, fries, medium vanilla cone, washed down with a diet coke.

I know I like the place and all, but the food was actually excellent for what it was, too. Same type of fare as McDonald's, but more "real" or far less crappy. (I did ask where they get it from; that's why I know most of it came from the grocery store.)

[Horace]

Was the help mostly middle aged women, except for the Mexican cook?

[Aqua Letifer]

@Horace said in The most profoundly nostalgic lunch I ever had.:

Was the help mostly middle aged women, except for the Mexican cook?

Different kind of stereotype: high school kids.

Who listened to the freaking radio, because the place wasn't set up to handle Spotify.

[Mik]

The best place for ribs in Cincinnati was the Barn and Rib Pit in an alley downtown. They closed maybe 20 years ago. This place was great. All the waitresses were middle aged with beehives and waitress dresses and called you honey. The seats were all red pleather. The walls were adorned with 40's and 50's starlet promo shots and aa few autographed pics from various celebrities. It was as vintage as vintage gets and totally authentic. Nothing was a put on or for PR. They just were what they were and could not have been anything else.

The owner was about 120. Every time you came in you were surprised that he was still with us. All the MLB baseball players went there after games.

It was great. I miss it more than any other restaurant that is gone now except maybe the Maisonette.

[Jolly]

Kid you not, there's a little drive-in about twenty miles from here that serves pronto pups, just like they have since the fifties.

Still drop by every now and then, just to get a pronto pup and a frosted coke.

[89th]

The first and last photos you took are frame-worthy. Love the lighting and composition of where it draws your eye. Can you DM me with where this is? It somewhat reminds me of Jess' Hotdogs when we were in college (and also where my dad went 30 years prior).

[George K]

@89th said in The most profoundly nostalgic lunch I ever had.:

The first and last photos you took are frame-worthy.

Indeed. That guy has an eye, doesn't he?

[89th]

@George-K Rumor has it he even has two!

[Aqua Letifer]

@89th said in The most profoundly nostalgic lunch I ever had.:

The first and last photos you took are frame-worthy. Love the lighting and composition of where it draws your eye.

Well, Arnaud Montagard I'm not, but it helps when the building cooperates.