Bob's Diner: A Diner in Full

In "Shampoo Planet" by Douglas Coupland, one of the characters uses the name "Marge" as an adjective to describe things reminiscent of diners where women by the name of Marge would be working.

The character has a very condescending view of diners and the people who work there so for her "Marge" is a negative adjective. I could not disagree with her more.

I absolutely love diners and the people who work there. When my editor informed me that I would be reviewing in Roxborough my heart jumped for joy. It has been on my list of places to go forever.

In my opinion, diners do breakfast better than any other meal and so even though it was 2 in the afternoon, I opted for breakfast. Lucky for me, they serve breakfast all day long.

While I read the menu the lovely server brought over a hot cup of coffee ($1.59). To quote another Gen X icon, Special Agent Dale Cooper, it was a "damn fine cup of coffee." I had to know what kind of coffee it was so she went to the back to check and informed me it was Ellis coffee. 

The menu is quite extensive but I tend to judge the quality of breakfast on how good the pancakes are. I ordered the pancakes with corned beef hash ($5.99) and took the server's advice and added in some home fries with cooked onions ($1.79).

I do not say the following lightly: they were some of the best pancakes I have ever had. The edges were so crisp that I could hear them gently breaking when I bit into them. The middle of the pancake was light, fluffy and perfectly cooked.

I could have done without the fist-sized ball of butter on top, but a simple push to the side left a good amount on the large stack of pancakes. When the cook came out, I complimented her on the excellent pancakes and she actually remarked that she too thought they were a really good stack when she was placing them on the plate for the server to pick up.

The corned beef hash was not my favorite. It was on the mushy side. But perhaps it just didn't seem as good when compared to the ridiculously perfect pancakes.

The home fries with caramelized onions were delicious. The potatoes were cooked all the way through and crunchy and nutty in the spots that were closest to the griddle. I love a healthy dose of ketchup and a sprinkling of salt and pepper with my home fries.

As I was leaving I had to grab a slice of the pecan pie ($1.79) to go. It was syrupy sweet, the crust flakey and the pecans tender and flavorful.

The decor is decidedly retro diner, which I truly appreciated. There are photos of families, babies, kids, grandkids and friends right by the register, which illustrate what a fixture the place is in the neighborhood.

Grab a stool at the counter and fill up on honest to goodness American fare for a reasonable price or grab a cozy booth with your friends and catch up on the week's events while eating classics like BLT's ($3.99), burgers ($3.99), shakes ($3.49) or meatloaf ($4.99).

Whatever you decide, rest assured that the place is most definitely "Marge." Maybe it's because I am a child of Asian immigrants that I find American diners so intriguing. They are a mainstay of the American dining scene.

They are found in every city in every state all over the U.S. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, baked goods and affordable prices,what is there not to like? The funny thing is that my server was more "Clara" than "Marge," as she too was an Asian-American female. Just goes to show just how diverse this country now is. I love that too.