Diner Review XI: The Overland Diner

The Overland Diner





it is always a pleasure to hit a new diner. there is always the feeling that there is nothing new under the sun but nothing proves that a lie better then a brand new experience of eating comfort food with strangers among the cigarette smoke. While some might see it as pathetic... it sometimes feel like it is all you got and a lot of time it is more then enough. Good pork and good hash browns sometimes transcend all.

Sooooo on a recent week day my breakfast companion informed me of a destination which I had spied but was not on my radar screen for a visit. Happily I turn this space over to handsome Sal Pagano:

“Overland Diner, at 2539 Woodson, is really George Rivolo Diner. They serve decent coffee and Edmunds Chili. I sampled each. Not bad. The chili will make a great Slinger! The Diner looks like a White Castle and George says it is the way White Castle started out but realized quickly that the limitation of seats also limited their income. The diner was built early 1930, has white porcelain interior walls, has counter stools, and is equipped with the traditional juke box.The Diner has never been remodeled or updated, as far as I can tell. It needs new signs and a good cleaning!

I met George, (age 83) on Saturday as I did a reckon of the area. George likes the diner business and has owned this one for thirty years. He bought it to have a little income after retiring from Metropolitan Life. My dad's cousin worked with him for his entire career. My dad was his dentist! He told me that the dentures he was wearing were made by my dad and they were close to twenty five years old. Can you imaging not going to the dentist in 25 years! Linda works the afternoon shift and Cindy has the morning. They are open 24 hours with Breakfast anytime, of course! “

This is good stuff people. this is the type of concise, insightful review that summarizes the place well. I have a little to supplement this with but there are a few cogent facts Sal left out.

1. There are no booths. This is stools only.
2. A good regular crowd parked on the corner of the counter and dominating conversation but...nice people. Have a cig.
3. Aside from the jukebox they have the dreaded 40 year old pinball machine.
4. The regulars come in the back door.
5. It does NOT look like a White Castle. There is nothing prefab about this thing and it looks filthy and like it could fall down at any moment.

Simply put the place had a good feel and good food. Right down the street from the original Hacienda and their tortilla factory and across the street from Piazz’s Pawn Shop. Piazza used to come into the Courtyard in South County where I worked to have breakfast but you have to wonder why he would not have gone here every day. The Overland Diner is a fairly centrally located place...reasonably close to the airport and should be visited...and revisited again and again. This will definitely make a top 10 diners of St. louis list at the end of the year.