In recent years, Pittsburgh has garnered a reputation for being a foodie town. New restaurants are always popping up, but no matter how many high end or new concept restaurants come to Pittsburgh, there is always room for a beloved staple: the all-American diner.
Diners are popular because they hearken back to a simpler time, with basic but delicious comfort food on the menu and often featuring retro decor. Locals are likely familiar with diners like Ritter’s, Pamela’s or DeLuca’s, but there are some hidden (and not so hidden) diner gems throughout the northern region of Pittsburgh as well.
Valliant’s Diner
Gerri Valliant is a second-generation owner of Valliant’s Diner, started by his parents 56 years ago. Still at its original location on Babcock Boulevard in Ross Township, the colorful 50s-style diner is one of the oldest in the Pittsburgh area. Like most diners, breakfast is a mainstay and is served all day. Valliant, who does most of the cooking, said, “I wouldn’t serve you something I wouldn’t eat myself; that is our motto. I have a good staff; they’ve all been with me a long time. Customers know them as well as they know me. You become a regular, you feel like it’s your place, like your home. We embrace the customers in a way that they feel like it’s their place.” Customers appreciate the reasonable prices as well as the large portions.
Valliant said that soups made from scratch are very popular, from navy bean to split pea to lima bean to beef and barley. Bacon and eggs along with their made-from-scratch home fries are also bestsellers. In honor of the owners’ Greek heritage, Greek omelets, complete with feta, spinach and tomato, are also quite popular, along with blueberry French toast.
Valliant, who grew up in the business, not only enjoys serving his customers a delicious meal but he enjoys getting to know them, many of whom grew up going to Valliant’s and now bring their children or grandchildren. He believes that despite the new restaurants regularly popping up in Pittsburgh, there will always be a place for a good, old-fashioned diner. “You know what you’re going to get, and it’s more affordable than anything else, which is a big part, too, especially nowadays,” he said.
Jimis’ Sunnyside Up Diner
Jimis’ Sunnyside Up Diner in Valencia is the quintessential definition of a mom-and-pop diner and is a true family affair. Owner James Dean does all of the cooking, while his wife, daughters, nieces and nephews help out in the kitchen or waiting tables. The diner, which opened in 2016, has a 30-seat main dining room, a 16-seat private room, and a dog-friendly, 64-seat patio out back. “We’ll make the dogs anything they want,” said Dean.
Pleasing human customers is just as important to Dean. In addition to a traditional breakfast menu, other items include the popular chicken fried chicken smothered in sausage gravy, patty melt burgers, and sausage gravy biscuits. “We are open only 30 hours a week, and I go through 8-10 gallons of sausage gravy. Everything is homemade, even our butter. I make in-house brown sugar and cinnamon butter; we don’t open a can for anything,” he said.
Dean opens his place for a themed dinner every other Friday night, such as Italian or Mexican nights. “I try to keep it reasonably priced, because it is just a diner,” he said, adding that he’s been cooking for 35 out of his 48 years.
As a reflection of his name, the diner is done in décor that was popular in the 50s: James Dean, Elvis Presley, old Jeeps, and more.
Dean said the appeal of the American diner is its homey, comfortable setting. “You have a simple, two-page menu to look through, and if you don’t know what to eat you know there is something in there that will appeal to you. You don’t feel rushed. You can kick your feet up, have coffee, and good conversation. I love coming out and sitting down and talking with people; I consider everybody here family,” he said.
Don’s Diner
If you’re a fan of The Mayor of Kingstown, filmed right here in Pittsburgh, you may already be familiar with Don’s Diner. Or maybe you’ve seen a glimpse of Don’s in Mindhunter, Rust, American Pastoral or Warrior. Don’s Diner is literally tucked under a highway overpass in an unassuming North Side neighborhood called Woods Run, with not much else around. While it may not have fancy bells and whistles, and only has seating for 20, the diner is cherished by its many loyal customers, and it charms many customers who discover it.
Marce Kemmler co-owns the diner with her father, Don Notaro, who opened the business 28 years ago and is still the primary cook. The diner is only open between Tuesday and Saturday from 6:30 a.m. until noon. “When everybody walks in, they feel like they are in mom’s kitchen. Everybody knows everybody, and if you don’t, you start a conversation. It’s comfortable; it’s laid-back,” said Kemmler.
Like many diners, they offer both breakfast and lunch, and both menus are available all day. Their number one sandwich is called The Wet Judy, consisting of cheese, hash browns, meat and eggs over easy in between two thick slices of French bread. It garnered national attention when Anthony Bourdain deigned it to be the fifth best breakfast sandwich in the country in Food & Wine Magazine.
Kemmler said that people travel several hours to visit Don’s. “The appeal is the home cooking, and you’re treated above and beyond. I want everyone to come back. I talk to everyone. People come in and celebrate their birthdays, even anniversaries. I always have little cupcakes and brownies, and we sing. I like to make everybody feel welcome and happy, and even if you’re having a bad day, you won’t feel that way when you leave.”
Kelly O’s Diner
Seana Lois, CEO of Kelly O’s, said that her mother, Kelly O’Connor, was a widowed, single mother when she started the diner in 2001 as a way to have a career with daylight hours, unlike her former career in the bartending industry. “From there, she worked pretty tirelessly and built it up; it was featured on TV shows, notably Diners, Drive ins and Dives twice,” said Lois.
The original Ross Township location is still there, and since then, O’Connor has opened a location in the Strip, and most recently, a restaurant in Warrendale. At any given time, all three of the restaurants are packed with loyal customers who have discovered the meaning behind ‘comfort food.’
“In our diner, our ‘comfort foods’ are my mom’s recipes or my grandma’s recipes. To me it’s comforting because I’ve eaten the same bowl of chicken soup since I was six, so it’s the consistency. One of my favorite things is, if you come here in October or June, you can get the same food, at all locations,” she said.
One family recipe that remains as popular as ever—and blew Guy Fieri away—is the homemade haluski, a Pittsburgh staple and one that Kelly O’s has perfected. They also offer a good, classic breakfast. “We’re not trying to think outside the box or reinvent the wheel—it’s diner breakfast, and people appreciate that as well,” said Lois. Other popular items are the homemade biscuits and gravy, another item that was featured on the show.
Lois said that they have become an extension of their regular customers’ lives and a fixture of their day. “We give them joy and comfort; I love that about this industry.”
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