City Diner

City Diner, located in an old Pizza Hut building - one I patronized many times from childhood through well beyond college - on Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, is all about nostalgia. The walls and ceiling are filled with artifacts of the past.  Advertisements, toys, old license plates.  Replicas of old televisions (black and white, of course) hang on the wall, though sometimes showing contemporary shows. There's an ancient Coca Cola machine and phone booth (with a Clark Kent mannequin) outside.  A jukebox by the front door.  Circling the dining area on elevated tracks is an electric train.  It's really cool.  I'd love to rig that up in our condo.  Or maybe my office at work.

One of the co-owners, Jo, is well known to locals.  She had a restaurant across the bridge in Palm Beach for many years prior.  She likewise could often be seen at City Diner.  We learned from our waitress (one of several who've been there for many years - that says a lot) that Jo now lives in Ocala but is still involved.  She knows how to run a place, and keep it going.

We usually go for breakfast. You get a 3% discount if you pay in cash on Mondays through Fridays from 9-11 AM. Sundays are our usual day.  After church, of course. When I get the occasional weekday off I will sit at the counter, trying to ignore the huge apple and other such pies.  I'm usually ordering the benedict or create-it-yourself-omelete. The pancakes are fluffy.  The lunch fare is also just fine.  Coffee is always fresh.

There are other good diners in West Palm Beach, but City Diner is my favorite.  The atmosphere alone is worth the trip.  Also enjoyable is observing the wildly diverse clientele.  The restaurant sits between upper (to the east) and working class (the west) neighborhoods   They're open until 8:30 PM on Tuesday through Saturday and until 3:00 Sunday and Monday.  

City Diner

3400 South Dixie Highway

West Palm Beach, FL  33405

(561) 659-6776

https://mycitydiner.com/