There’s something so nostalgic and comforting about sitting on a plastic restaurant booth, opening a laminated menu, and ordering a diner food favorite—from pancakes and hash browns to tuna melts and meatloaf. The problem is that results can be inconsistent depending on the diner. Guarantee perfection by making your favorite diner foods at home with these tried-and-true recipes.
Good Old-Fashioned Pancakes
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
“I found this pancake recipe in my Grandma’s recipe book. Judging from the weathered look of this recipe card, this was a family favorite.” —Recipe submitter dakota kelly
Juiciest Hamburgers Ever
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“No more dry, lackluster hamburgers. These are juicy, and spices can be easily added or changed to suit anyone’s taste. If you find the meat mixture too mushy, just add more bread crumbs until it forms patties that hold their shape.” —Recipe creator Jane
Breaded Chicken Fingers
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This chicken fingers recipe is for you if you like the taste of garlic. It is easy to make but requires time to marinate.” —Recipe submitter Janet Shannon
Ham and Cheese Omelette
fabeveryday
“This ham and cheese omelet is so easy and so good. I usually sauté the ham before adding it to the omelet so it gets crispy and more flavorful.” —Recipe creator Eli
Quick and Easy Home Fries
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These home fries turn out crispy every time. They’re great for breakfast or as a side dish. If you prefer crispy hash browns, use shredded potatoes (instead of cubed) and follow the recipe directions.” —Recipe creator magicallydelicious
Chef John’s Tuna Melt
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This tuna melt recipe is dedicated to all those chefs who tell you to never, ever mix fish and cheese together; and yet there they are, at the diner at 2:00 in the morning. And you know what they eat? Tuna melts. And the reason they do is because they are delicious.” —Chef John
Classic Waffles
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These waffles turn out lovely and crispy. Perfect for any day of the week!” —Recipe submitter Megan
Lorraine’s Club Sandwich
Allrecipes
“An easy, quick, and delicious sandwich to eat anytime.” —Recipe creator LORRAINEWINKEL
Old-Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“A coconut cream pie recipe that’s tried and true. It took many years of searching and baking to find the right one, and this is it!” —Recipe creator Carol H.
Vanilla Milkshake
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“A vanilla milkshake recipe that’s very easy to make. Add chocolate, berries, peaches, or whatever you like. My kids like to add root beer instead of milk.” —Recipe submitter DPULLIAM
Easy Meatloaf
Grant Webster / Food Styling: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Gabriel Greco
“This meatloaf recipe doesn’t take long to make at all, and it’s very good!” —Recipe creator Janet Shum
Homemade Crispy Hash Browns
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These turned out great! They weren’t greasy at all, they held together perfectly, and they looked quite pretty when they were done cooking, too.” —Reviewer eiskyjente
Classic Patty Melt
fabeveryday
“They were delicious and as good as the ones at the diner.” —Allrecipes member kd
Best Grilled Cheese
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This easy grilled cheese sandwich has a crispy Parmesan crust and a gooey Cheddar and bacon filling, and is simply the best I’ve ever had! As far as grilled cheese goes, this is it!” —Recipe creator nevadamommy
French Toast
Allrecipes / Diana Chistruga
“This fabulous French toast recipe works with many types of bread—white, whole wheat, brioche, cinnamon-raisin, Italian, or French! Delicious served hot with butter and maple syrup.” —Recipe creator Jan Bittner
The Best Chicken Fried Steak
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This chicken fried steak recipe is one I received from a co-worker about 5 years ago. A Southern favorite, these crispy, breaded, tenderized cube steaks drenched in creamy gravy can be served for breakfast or dinner. It’s by far the best chicken fried steak I’ve ever had.” —Recipe submitter norah
Homemade Crispy Seasoned French Fries
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
“My family loves seasoned fries and with 4 children the bag of fries from the store became too expensive. So I tried batter—after all, it makes chicken, shrimp, and onion rings crispy so why not potatoes! Now even my husband can’t get enough of these French fries. They even stay crispy when you reheat them in the microwave.” —Recipe creator Cassie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This rich and creamy chocolate cream pie is an old family recipe my grandmother used to make me when I was a little boy.” —Recipe submitter Cecil
Apple Pie by Grandma Ople
Holiday Baker
“This amazing apple pie recipe belonged to my grandmother. I have never seen another one quite like it! It will always be my favorite and has won several first place prizes in local competitions.” —Recipe submitter MOSHAMAMA
Easy Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This recipe is so quick, easy, and AMAZING. It’s definitely easy on your wallet too!!! Highly recommend!” —Reviewer Lacey Bauman
Eggs Benedict
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Delicious and much easier than I thought. My family was amazed by the combination of textures and tastes.” —Allrecipes member Andi G
Beef Tips
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Beef tips are slow-simmered in a flavorful sauce until tender. My husband loves these easy beef tips and gravy—they melt in your mouth!” —Recipe creator denisef
Crispy Fried Chicken
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Great recipe and great technique. Had no idea letting batter become paste-like and then covering while frying would make such a difference! Definitely a keeper.” —Reviewer Ebcook
Perfect Baked Potato
Rita
“This baked potato has a crisp, golden skin, and is light and fluffy on the inside—a perfect baked potato. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if you like. Great comfort food!” —Recipe submitter curleegirlee
Country Ham and Biscuits
Photography: Carson Downing / Food: Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling: Laura Ellefson/Lexi Juhl
“The biscuits were tender, fluffy, and easy to split without crumbling or falling apart.” —Allrecipes member TxCin2
Christy’s Awesome Hot Ham and Cheese
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This ham and cheese sandwich is great on a cool night with a cup of tomato soup.” —Recipe creator SeattleFarmersMarketGirl
BLT
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This BLT is classic: bacon, lettuce, and tomato—nothing fancy, just delicious.” —Recipe submitter MOTTSBELA
Bacon In the Oven
Allrecipes / Qi Ai
“I always cook bacon in the oven! You just need to plan a bit ahead as the bacon takes longer. With baking, the bacon grease stays nice and clean and you can reuse it to sauté vegetables or eggs for extra flavor.” —Recipe submitter barbara
Best Scrambled Eggs
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This best scrambled egg recipe took a bit of tweaking, but I’ve finally made the best scrambled eggs ever! My friends and family love it.” —Recipe creator mimo1099
Basic Mashed Potatoes
Basic Mashed Potatoes.
Allrecipes
“This mashed potato recipe is perfect if you’re looking for good, old-fashioned mashed potatoes.” —Recipe submitter Esmee Williams
Gourmet Root Beer Float
Melissa Goff
“Tall glasses overflowing with root beer and vanilla ice cream. Top with whipped cream and cherries for a touch of elegance.” —Recipe submitter Lucinda
Matzo Ball Soup
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
“Some family members say it started with our great-great-grandmother Bubbie Rose. My husband (her great-great-grandson) has put his own twist on it by adding extra vegetables and fresh dill which we think sets this soup apart from the rest.” —Recipe submitter becky
Philly Cheesesteak
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This Philly cheesesteak is made with sirloin sliced into strips and seasoned with a delicious blend of herbs and spices for a flavorsome sandwich.” —Recipe creator SwizzleSticks
Homemade Banana Pudding
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This homemade banana pudding recipe from scratch was handed down from my grandmother. My whole family loves it and we all grew up on it.” —Recipe submitter Sara Crenshaw
Deluxe Corned Beef Hash
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Delicious. I had left over corned beef from earlier in the week and this was a great way to use it up.” —Reviewer Maya J
