- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
American City Diner
Category: Restaurants Diners Diners [Edit]
5532 Connecticut Ave NW(between N Livingston St & N Mckinley St)
Washington, DC 20015
Neighborhood: Chevy Chase
(202) 244-1949
Now Playing:
All the President's Men
Showtimes on RottenTomatoes.com
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
82 reviews for American City Diner
Review Highlights
-
"Free awesome classic movies out on the patio." In 5 reviews -
"...great place to get typical diner food and breakfast all day." In 3 reviews -
"I had a great black and white malt shake." In 6 reviews
Loading...
82 reviews in English
-
Review from Kirsten W.
Washington, DC
3/19/2012
It's a diner. Don't over think it.
Milkshakes: so so thick and yummy. Burgers: bigger than Five Guys, fresh beef, fills you up.
Really good corned beef hash and eggs, huge menu. It hits the spot when you just want some classic diner food. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to order - I am going to have to venture back!
Service isn't the quickest, but I'm never in a hurry when I go there.
Bottom line: not many places to get legit diner food in the District, and this diner fits the bill to a T. -
Review from James R.
Washington, DC
12/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've read some other reviews that complain about service at American City Diner. This isn't a Michelin star restaurant so don't expect that level of service. It is a good diner. Great milk shakes, burger and dinner option like country fried steak. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a diner experience for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
As for prices, go between 5-7pm for half priced burgers!
Burger, fries, vanilla shake. Classic. Plus a great old school vibe.Listed in: The Places I Go Out
-
Review from christine c.
Washington, DC
4/29/2012
This is one of the few restaurants in our neighborhood that we go back to quite often whenever we feel like having a simple, traditional breakfast (i.e., eggs, breakfast meats, fries). Location wise, it's in a mostly residential neighborhood so there's plenty of street parking but it's not very close to a metro. It's been there forever, and it's an rare authentic diner in every sense of the word - looks like one inside and out, and serves breakfast all day. The price is very reasonable, although food quality could fluctuate a bit - a couple of times the breakfast meats were a bit too greasy, and no fancy or interesting presentation. But overall, it's plain hearty breakfast food you can always count on. If you drink tea, they only have Lipton teabags. I usually need two as I like my tea strong, but there doesn't seem to be a clear policy as to whether they'll charge you for two teas if you ask for two teabags. Most of the time they'll just give you two teabags for the asking, then once we had a rather grumpy waitress (a bit out of character as most of the wait staff have been there forever and are always very friendly) who insisted on charging for the second teabag. A minor thing but I didn't return to the diner for a whole year. Lately have gone back a couple of times again and didn't see that problem waitress so hopefully she's gone forever!
-
Review from martha w.
2/7/2012
Colorful neighborhood haunt for Chevy Chasers. Good burgers and shakes. Very good waffles. Mostly friendly service. And movies. What's not to enjoy?
Listed in: Never Dull Diners
-
Review from Wm H.
Washington, DC
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place amazes me, but it has been here for a while and still keeps cooking!
The owner's ego is very evident, from the front of the menu to the time he ran for the mayor of DC on a platform of legalizing prostitution.
Now about the food, first of the place is very dirty, very worn, the bathrooms are dirty and worn. That always tells me something, if they don't care about the place, how can they care about the food.
But it is always busy, though I never see anyone from the neighborhood in there, so where do these people come from? And it is not cheap either.
If you want something basic, you will be OK, don't expect much, and you won't get much. The Service is excellent, no matter what! -
Review from Andrew S.
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
So, I've been here a few times, and the food is ALWAYS good. I've never had a problem with it. You have to know what you're expecting though. This isn't some classy 5 star place; its classic diner food. Sometimes you just need that greasy spoon flavor. From the burgers and shakes to the breakfast items served all day, it's tasty stuff.
If I were to judge on food alone, I'd give them 4 stars. Obviously (by my rating), I'm not. The service is what slows this place down, in my opinion. Often absent (or just slow) and curt, I'm not sure I'll return.
Parking: yes, I know it's the city, so it's tight. They do have a small private lot behind the restaurant, if you can get a spot. So that is a plus.
The movies on the porch are pretty cool. I went with a friend to watch, and they started it 45 minutes late. While they didn't mind us sitting and watching without ordering more food, at least start them on-time. It was a weeknight, and some people get up earlier for work (I know, I made the choice to go to the place).
Regardless, will I go back? I'm not sure. With so many other options for food in the DC area, I'd need a really good reason to. -
Review from Ordale A.
6/19/2011
This place is like the tone-deaf kid singing "The Lord's Prayer" at a talent show. No one will boo him because it'd be wrong.
For some reason everyone clings to either "It's a diner and diner food isn't supposed to be great" or "It's a neighborhood jewel that shows classic movies." I guess you're not supposed to boo those kinds of places.
The waiters were great. Two of them stopped to talk to my one year old at length which was nice and also makes "booing" this place hard. Look, I wasn't expecting Bobby Flay to cook the meal, but I've had better food on a Foreman Grill.
I ordered pancakes and bacon and what I got resembled several Chips Ahoy that tasted like Multigrain toast. The parts of the bacon that were fully cooked were very good. The other 60% was CDC-worthy.
The place was cramped and smelled like a truck stop Waffle House. The floor was sticky and although I had to "go" really bad, it was one of those places where you kinda guess what the restroom would look like.
I'm sorry to anyone who loves this place, but it was awful and to say that "it's a diner" doesn't excuse it. Silver Diner is just a diner and they manage to have clean tables, clean floors and more than enough space for two people to walk in opposite directions down the aisle.
So with all that said...BOOOOO get off the stage! -
Review from m g.
Washington, DC
4/2/2012
Love the jukebox!!! Love the 50's vibe! My waiter yesterday was a gem, but everyone else working there seemed moody or impatient. The food is slightly above average in quality for a diner, BUT the prices are unfortunately higher than what they should be as well. Their poached eggs are divine and the potatoes are pretty good. My boyfriend found a huge black hair in his eggs and bacon, it was pretty gross and needless to say, killed his appetite. The old man working the cash register should learn how to smile once in a while. Maybe throw in a thank you when people pay . . . He has full responsibility for the patrons' last impression and he creates a very poor one. This place would be stellar if the service was overhauled.
-
Review from Yasmine B.
Washington, DC
1/28/2012
Went there today with a friend for breakfast. The Belgian waffle was DELICIOUS. It was the best Belgian waffle I've ever had (I haven't had many, I'll admit lol). But it was THAT good. The eggs were great (and they used REAL eggs, unlike other places I've been that serve breakfast all day). My turkey sausage looked a bit undercooked... that's the only downside. Potatoes were okay. Our waiter was very nice, too. It's a cool, little spot that I would definitely visit again.
-
Review from Amanda M.
Washington, DC
5/7/2011
First of all - it's a diner, guys. A DINER. IN DC. So quit your whining.
Secondly, I went there a few months ago - the fries were good, and the banana split was big enough to share. -
Review from Bro H.
Syracuse, NY
12/28/2010
Okay food, terrible prices, satisfying atmosphere.
It's a diner, so if you don't like diners, don't come here. A lot of the bad reviews seem to be written by people who don't know what a diner is. I personally like diners, so I do like it here.
The food is fine. Not extrordinary, but they didn't screw anything up. The problem is that the prices are a lot higher than you'd expect. Eg: one egg is $2.75. What the hell?
Wouldn't fight someone if they wanted to go here but wouldn't suggest coming here again either. The Diner in Adams Morgan is much much better. -
Review from Sarah A.
Washington, DC
7/10/2011
I have had one so-so visit to American City Diner and one really awful one.
The first time I went I just got an ice cream sundae. It was huge -- I should have shared it with someone, really. It was about $5. The experience was so-so.
The next time though, oh my it was awful. My friend and I got there around lunch time on a Saturday. No one greeted us at the door for several minutes, so we sat down at a booth. When the server pointed out to the hostess that we didn't have menus, she said in a mean tone of voice, "I can't help it if they just sat down on their own." I ordered the matzo ball soup and an order of fries with gravy.
The matzo ball soup was awful. It cost over $6 (it only comes in bowl size), but it was almost inedible. The soup itself was just their chicken noodle soup with a single, very loosely packed matzo ball. The problem was, the matzo ball was sour. Like it had vinegar in it or something. It was bitter and disgusting to the point where I could not eat it. I told the server, to which he responded "Oh, I'll let them know." Nothing else was done about it. No refund, no apology, no anything.
The fries were overcooked and the gravy was sparse even though I had to pay like $2 extra for it. They also gave me a half order when I never specified that I wanted a half, though after it was so subpar I was glad I hadn't gotten charged the ridiculous price they ask for a full order of fries.
What really annoys me though is that they charge $2.50 for a soda and limit you to one refill. They are making so much money off of that that it's ridiculous.
The service is not very good, the food is fairly terrible and over-priced. The only way I'd ever go here again is for dessert during a free classic movie, because their movie schedule does seem decent. -
Review from Kathy O.
Washington, DC
12/10/2011
Came with a Groupon - $8 for $20. We were in the mood for some greasy diner food and that's what we got. My boyfriend's Philly cheese steak was pretty good and my chicken tenders & onion rings were fine. Only complaint is small selection of sauces for dipping the chicken (no honey mustard!?!). The cherry shake was delicious!
No issues paying with the Groupon. Wasn't as cheap as diner food could be, but we weren't complaining since we got more than half off. -
Review from Annie D.
Silver Spring, MD
4/26/2011
I wouldn't really mind the place if it wasn't for the outrageous amount of screaming children in this restaurant. The food was hit or miss, my scrambled eggs were pretty yucky but the pancakes were really good. I also feel like it was too expensive for what it we got.
On the other hand our waitress was delightful and very attentive! She was everything I've come to love about seasoned diner waitresses and I would go back just for her (and those pancakes). -
Review from Eric M.
Washington, DC
2/9/2011
I live about a block from the American City Diner, so it would be nice if it were a dependable spot for decent diner food. Of course, my expectations for diner food tend to be a lot different than my expectations for fine dining. Still, this place manages to disappoint. The service is terrible - whenever I've been here, it's always been the same waitress (and I use that term loosely). The first few times she scowled at me or tossed a menu at me across a table, I cut her a break because she's a bit old to be standing up all hours of the night serving diner food, but come on. Your heaving sighs whenever I ask for anything, and your inability to get my order right aren't a good combination.
Finally, I should say that the food is "eh," even for diner food, and they do stupid things like charge you extra for french fries when you order a cheeseburger (seriously?). I could forgive all of this if I hadn't seen on more than one occasion the cook handle my lettuce and other uncooked cheeseburger toppings WITH HIS BARE HANDS. Beware. Then again, if you're stuck in Chevy Chase and really need a milkshake at 12am, maybe you're willing to risk it. -
Review from Sara D.
Silver Spring, MD
5/4/2011
My friend and I went at lunchtime yesterday (5/3/11). Our experience may have been different than previous patrons because it was during the day, and there weren't a lot of children. Those who were there were not screaming and, thus, were not a problem.
The atmosphere was great. I really felt like I was in a 50s style diner. They even had the personal jukebox selectors at each table. Awesome! Caricature murals of classic movie and music stars outside on the walls. Great memorabilia on the inside. I felt like I needed a poodle skirt or something.
We each ordered a milkshake and burgers. The milkshakes came quickly. I ordered chocolate. It was delicious. My friend ordered a black and white. It was a little more chocolaty than expected, but she still enjoyed it. The burgers arrived a little later. Only I ordered the fries, and we split them. Excellent fries. They were fried perfectly and were just the right temperature. My friend enjoyed her burger, and I enjoyed mine. My only problem was that the pickles on the burger were sweet. I was expecting dill pickles, but I pulled them off, and the burger was excellent without them. Problem solved.
I can't speak to kitchen cleanliness because, quite frankly, I wasn't inspecting the kitchen. The ladies' bathroom was clean and in good working order though.
Overall, I loved this place. I reserved the fifth star because the service was a smudge slow. Nevertheless, I loved it so much that I intend to take everyone who visits me to this place. I think they will all love it. I can't wait to go at night and watch a classic movie. Although I enjoyed the food, I would recommend this place if only for the atmosphere. -
Review from Kathleen M.
Atlanta, GA
9/8/2008
Came here for a milkshake after seeing a movie at the Avalon. Little did I know that this place shows their own movies: I probably would have enjoyed that a lot more than the awful flick I saw at the Avalon, but alas, this isn't a movie review.
My date and I each ordered a black and white shake (no one shake, two straws here: I want my own!) and an order of cheese fries. I asked the waitress if the cheese on the fries was "real," you know, not that "nacho" stuff. Thankfully it was real, freshly grated even! We had a choice of a couple of different cheeses, but stuck with the basic cheddar. The shakes and fries were both tasty and service was quick.
I'd happily return here to catch a movie and sip on a shake: great casual date spot. -
Review from Vonetta Y.
Washington, DC
3/15/2010
R's gonna kill me for giving this place 2 stars since it's so near and dear to his heart, but I gotta be true to myself. And being true to myself, ACD just didn't do it for me.
We went for Saturday brunch since all I could think about Saturday morning was pancakes (Some pre-menstrual women crave brownies; I crave pancakes) and Lord knows I love myself a good greasy spoon.
I was somewhat turned off immediately upon walking in: what the hell is that smell? You know the smell. It's that smell that takes you back to your toddler years, when your grandparents still had furniture they bought in the 60s and didn't even think to update until 2000. Yes. *That* smell.
But pancake-crazed, I held out for food. I got the 6-stack of pancakes with scrambled eggs and link sausage. R got the steak & eggs, potatoes included. His looked quite good. I didn't even get a chance to eat any of the steak off his plate. I did, however, get to sneak some potatoes, which were tasty, but a little cold by the time I got to them, so they were probably better when they were warm (although they were in dire need of ketchup; not much flavor sans ketchup).
My pancakes were okay, but tasted a little off. Hard time explaining what exactly that means, but it was kinda like...the flavor was hitting the wrong side of my tongue. I don't know. Told you it was hard to explain. Half of one of my sausage links was burnt beyond recognition, but the other half (and the whole one) wasn't bad. The eggs were okay, too. I went ahead and ordered a cup of decaf, which was delicious! So I got at least one unwavering positive out the experience.
Just because I'm a diplomatic individual, I'm going to come back to ACD to see a movie or in the middle of the night while I'm intoxicated, just because it seems to be best at those times. Or when I have a cold and can't smell the memories of my grandmother's couch. -
Review from Alicia G.
11/3/2008
I worked at a diner back in PA for about 5 years in high school/summers in college. This place kind of reminds me of that time in my life.
The food is what you expect from a diner. Fairly cheap, quick and tasty. My breakfast was just that. I was super hungry for eggs, bacon, homefries and toast and ACD totally hit the spot.
I particularly love the "No Whining" prints on their shirts there. It's a diner - can't expect 5 star gourmet cuisine. And if you're going to be that picky about your food, then stay home.
But I'm not - so I'll be comin' here again soon.Listed in: Brunch: the most important…
-
Review from Melissa B.
Arlington, VA
1/2/2011
I had high hopes. I really did.
My hubby and I visited ACD Christmas eve-eve. We wanted to watch a movie and eat @ the same time - what a concept!
We walked in and we were greeted by a grumpy older man who sat us at the back of the diner. When I asked about the movie, he stated their projector wasn't working so "no movie tonight - too bad".
We were sitting down staring at each other for a few minutes before a young male waiter came up to us. We asked for some water and the waiter said, "He didn't bring you water? Yeah, he's slacking off tonight". Ouch.
We got our waters and we both proceeded to order hot dogs.
When we got the hot dogs, the "grilled" onions were chopped, cold, and generously sprinkled on top of the hot dog. The fries were crispy but in a bad way. As in some of the edges were burned and some fries were so hard I could have used them as weapons. We were starving so we ate the food. But, I was disappointed.
The "black & white" milkshake aka chocolate & vanilla shake was the only gleaming light of the evening. It was actually pretty tasty.
Unfortunately, although the concept of dinner and a movie sounds nice, we probably won't be returning. Too bad. -
Review from Evan H.
6/8/2009
Stopped into American City for the first time a few weekends ago. Not sure why I haven't been before, but overall the trip was worth it.
We were seated quickly at 11:00 on a Saturday in the back room by the Connecticut Ave. side. Our waitress was awesome and very quick to bring coffee, water etc.
I ordered lox, eggs and onions and it was pretty good. A little light on the lox and heavy on the onions, but pretty good. The problem I had was the 6 small children with their parents at a large table next to us. Scream Scream Scream, yell yell yell, cry cry cry.
I was able to look past that as I was pretty intently focused on my lox eggs and onions. I will come back to this place, maybe for one of those old movies. -
Review from Kori K.
Washington, DC
6/13/2008
Working Girl and a milkshake? Hellz yeah.
After passing this place several times on some back-and-forths from Maryland, and the pressing need for a milkshake on a steamy hot night, the boy and I finally decided to check this place out.
Yeah, like the other Yelpers said, it's a little dirty, and the heat just made the tables outright sticky. But you know what? It's a DINER, I wasn't here with my white gloves.
I liked being able to grab a burger and a movie on a summer night, all at once. Kill two birds as they say. And, who can pass up claw machines where you win every time? I'm now the proud owner of a plastic round football. (Yes, I said round)
Plus, anywhere that serves breakfast all day, is a good place for me. -
Review from Jim B.
Washington, DC
7/8/2008
You know what this milkshake needs? A bit of Al Pacino. Yeah, add some Dog Day Afternoon to that. Perfect. American City Diner shows this or any number of classic movies absolutely every single day starting at 8:30pm. Check the website for each month's listing.
Unfortunately, the night my girl and I went, it was less Al Pacino, and more Al Baldwin, as we had stumbled in on the middle of the 1988 classic "Working Girl". Not my first choice, but no matter - I never deny a milkshake jones.
The Diner strives to replicate the 50's look, complete with a layer of vintage grime. But despite sticking to the tablecloth on the warm summer day, the staff was generally friendly and the place was bearable.
Because of my masochistic tendencies, I decided to order the Nova Lox. It came mixed up with eggs, onions, and homes fries in what the menu referred to as "Juke Box Jeffery's Favorite". I don't know who Jeffery is, but his taste in food is bland and forgettable.
But what of the milkshake? The whole reason for the trip? Pretty damn good. The milkshake, and the movie, and the oh-so-important fact that it's open 24 hours keeps this place firmly in three star territory. I might return here sometime for a meal and a milkshake, I just don't know if I'd sit around and watch all of "The Great Escape".Listed in: Open 24 hours
-
Review from Paul M.
7/19/2008
A very special diner.
Yes, they show movies. Yes, there are little machines outside that kiddies - or very drunken hipsters - ride on for 50cents.
Yes, you might have to wait for almost 10 minutes on a Saturday or Sunday morning to get seated.
Yes, the menu has a thousand options on it - which could well be 995 too many early in the morning or late at night which is when I usually go there.
But those are not the reasons why I come here. The service is what counts, every server has a story, no don't get me wrong, we're not talking Lucky Chang's circa 1996 where we have servers in drag and they pause from serving you coffee and stand on the bar and belt out "It's raining men." But they almost could.
I just love coming here and checking out the servers. The crazily effiicent older hispanic guy, who makes me feel bad that I'm not drinking my coffeee quickly enough for him to refill it a million times. The punk chick with tatts who's on sabbatical from Suicide Grrls. The older New Jersey grandma who covers the back porch who when you first look at her you don't think she can move at all but whoooaaa look at her carry those plates and cover those tables and smile at those kids and - ohmygod - did she just pinch one of the cool AMU kids on the cheek and say he was cute. Respect.Listed in: Chevy Chaste
-
Review from Alicia G.
Washington, DC
12/3/2011
After tonight's dinner at ACD, I will not be returning.
This is the type of place you hope to go to for no-nonsense, delicious diner grub. But what you get is ridiculously overpriced, drab plates, in a depressing environment.
My group of four each ordered a burger and shared two milkshakes between us. Our total, with tip, was $70.00. At $10.00+ a pop, not including cheese or fries, such standard "eh" fare is not worth it. I ordered the garden burger and was fairly certain it was a MorningStar farms pattie. What drew us in was the advertisement of their half-price Happy Hour burgers between 5-7pm. We made the mistake of assuming this would just be applied at the end and were told that the Happy Hour burgers must be requested, specifically, and that they are smaller and only include several of the beef burgers on the menu. Veggie, Turkey, and Salmon burgers do not apply. I should mention, one reason we did not ask was because our waitress - mostly silent, affording a few grunts, generally rude, and maybe a little intoxicated - scared us. I've had her twice now and feel for her -- this probably isn't where she wants to be or what she wants to be doing, but do not expect a warm environment, or welcoming service. You feel more like a burden than a customer.
As others have mentioned, one egg costs $2.75 - so-so milkshakes come in at $5.50. If they could back these prices with cleanliness, kindness, and a bit of love in the food -- as a nostalgic diner should do - this might be justifiable. As it is though, this place is not worth it.
The best part of the meal was playing jukebox tunes from our table, as to lighten the dead mood of a place that has clearly seen its best days in the past. -
Review from Liz S.
Washington, DC
2/13/2008
Clearly, I'm the only one who loves this place, so maybe my review won't be helpful to anyone but me!
I love this place. I love it for all of the reasons that people don't like it--it's dirty, it's dingy, the seats and tables are more often than not sticky with what you hope is maple syrup. All of these reasons make diners what they are--places to grab breakfast any time of the day, where they don't judge you by what you're wearing or why you want flapjacks at 11 at night and steak and eggs at 6 in the morning. It's the kind of place that keeps the coffee refills coming, fresh and hot. It's the kind of atmosphere where they have wait staff with grease stained aprons and indecipherable scrawl.
Okay, true, this place isn't exactly the healthiest, cleanest place around. It's a great place to get typical diner food and breakfast all day. It's a great place to go for breakfast with friends and talk about the insane Saturday night you had, or curl up in a booth and read the paper with a steaming cup of joe. It's a great place to go and have a slice of pie and rootbeer float while watching The Shawshank Redemption or 12 Angry Men or another fantastic classic movie for free every night.
The wait staff is nice and friendly, they're decently attentive, and the prices are reasonable. I think if you're going to eat at an American breakfast diner, you shouldn't expect the Ritz or Chez Panisse... that's all I'm saying. But if you can enjoy a good hearty meal and traditional diner atmosphere, this is the best place to do it. -
Review from Stephanie S.
Silver Spring, MD
8/28/2011
Mmmmm. Yummy - yummy breakfast. I had corned-beef hash and LOVED it. Another good thing - although it isn't cheap, you definitely don't get small portions. I had breakfast and leftovers - a meal that normally there are no remnants of. Service was a little slow, but as long as you're there with friends/family - just sit back and have a leisurely meal... don't expect to be in and out in a jiffy.
-
Review from Suze B.
Washington, DC
10/13/2007
Wowzers! This place has GOT to get it together. To describe this place in one word? Dumpy. Oh, and one more! Dirty. I went there with family today, and it was just horrible. Flies everywhere, and saying our waitress was a bit out ot it is an understatement. She kept dropping things and knocking things over. Her voice was unnecessarily loud. She couldn't hear a word anyone said, and kept asking us to repeat things. She also coughed all over everything, and sat down next to our table with her cell phone. I heard her say "And then I'm gonna get the hell outta here!" Some way to talk in front of customers! Also, the cheesecake I ordered had blue mold on it! Gross!!
And to make things worse, the food isn't that great either. -
Review from Jenn K.
5/16/2011
I think this place is pretty cute and with old fashioned charm. Food is diner quality and large portions. I had a great black and white malt shake. The only thing I didn't like was the bright spot lights they had on at night which seemed to be aiming right for my eyeballs!
-
Review from Elliot L.
Manhattan, NY
10/20/2008 1 photo
I can't say much about the milkshakes or malts since most other reviews suggested not trying them.
Instead I came mid-day to get a breakfast plate. I can't pass up meat loaf and I try not to pass up lox, so I had to try their nova lox with eggs.
The plate is about $9 and comes with two toasted sesame bagels, lox in scrambled eggs, and a helping of home fries.
The home fries were awesome. I think potatoes in general are great, so it's hard to go wrong, but I liked the onions and bacon mixed in.
The eggs and lox combo was great. I love making sandwiches out of mcdonalds' big breakfasts so I did the same here.
Spread the cream cheese on the bagels and pile on the eggs/lox mix. Add a little tabasco, and it's the best open face breakfast sandwich.
Food was great. Atmosphere was okay. Interior was a little dirty. Booths aren't the cleanest, and something didn't smell right. -
Review from Sophie U.
Updated - 2/8/2009
I take back what I said, I take back what I said!
I went back there on Friday night after an evening trip to Ikea with friends and we were starving. I got a Connecticut Avenue Burger and fries, which were long and THIN! The burger was juicy, the fries tasted like fries, and the water still didn't taste like pipe. Or maybe I'm getting used to the DC area tap water.
Anyway, it was delicious (and I'm pretty sure it wasn't because I was starving), and our waitress was a darling. And I mean it. An absolute sweetheart!
I tasted the homefries from my friend's plate and definitely WTFed about them, though.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/30/2009
I'm not sure why I expect "cheap" places to be any good in this town anymore, but here goes.
It was a… Read more »
-
-
Review from Erika S.
Barrington, IL
11/8/2008
It was about 4am, I was drunk, and I was hungry.
Passing this place on the trip up to Chevy Chase Circle, I knew I wanted to come back on my way back down, being that it's open 24 hours. I was of course seated immediately. There were more patrons than I would have expected, but I think most of them were in my position. I ordered a grilled cheese and fries.
While of course nothing spectacular, it did quench my craving for some good diner food. The grilled cheese was really well-done - not at all burnt, and cooked just right. The fries were thick and hot. I got to watch a movie while I was eating. Service was of course quick being the amount of customers, but I was glad to have some friendly service at 4am. I'd totally go back for some diner food the next time I schlep up to drink at Chevy Chase Circle. -
Review from Josh W.
San Jose, CA
2/21/2010
How is this only 3 stars??
Any place that shows classical films every single night, at no additional charge, should be much higher rated.
I know, the food is not the best... just come after dinner and get a milkshake and enjoy the free movie that comes with it!
Id choose a $5 milkshake + a free Humphrey Bogart film over any crappy $10 Twilight movie they show in theatres now days. -
Review from Timmy C.
Columbia, MD
12/23/2008
This place was a complete zoo.
We came here on a Sunday morning hoping that diner food would cool our hangovers down. When we got in we were greeted by a kid running around in an apron with a stack of menus. He asked how many, we told him two, and he ran off. He would keep coming by every minute or two to ask Joan what he needs to do and also to ask us how many to which we would respond two.
We were finally sat and the first thing our waiter said upon greeting us was "I'm sorry". The service wasn't great but we did get what we ordered along with about a dozen apologies for the service.
The food was good. I had corned beef hash with eggs and toast. I ate it all.
Leaving was a hassel. The line was incredibly long and the cashier Joan was also a server. She kept demanding people check on her tables as she continued to ring people up. I would hate to be in her section. -
Review from Chelsea Z.
Madison Heights, MI
7/5/2010
American City Diner was a much needed break from munching on ethnic cuisines for several days. After a while, I just wanted a burger and fries, and that's exactly what I got.
A cheeseburger and fries with a classic bottled coca-cola. Everything was just right. The bun had tons of sesame seeds. The lettuce and tomato were fresh -- not soggy or wilted like other diners. And the beef patty appeared to be handpacked, not frozen. The whole experience reminded me of my stay in China, where after a few weeks I found myself eating in Hooters for three days straight.
I don't think I would find myself in American City Diner for three days straight, but it sure served up a huge platter of "patriotism" when I needed it most.
Cheers to the big beefy burger!Listed in: High Life (2010)
-
Review from EvA A.
Washington, DC
3/3/2010
This was so far the worst diner I've tried in US. Place is very casual, has specific smell, may be it's just being old, or may be there's a mould growing in there, I really don't wanna know. Apart from that scent, "food" there is just poor quality.
French toast, greenish inside, and rubbery, pancakes not fluffy at all, very flat, chewy, in shape and taste of shoe sole. Coffee served cold, no one even bothered to offer a refill. Only thing that wasn't screwed, were fried eggs, and a boxed juice served as fresh, PLEASE!!! -
Review from David G.
Washington, DC
3/1/2008
I went there for breakfast with high hopes good a good standard American breakfast. The breakfast was so-so at best and it cost two or three times as much as I have ever spent on breakfast.
I don't think I will ever go back. -
Review from Anne S.
Washington, DC
7/4/2011
Food is decent - but today, we had ants all over our table, our food was given to the wrong people, and our replacement order was wrong. The water glasses, silverware and plates were dirty.
I don't buy the argument that it's a diner, so you should forgive some of these details. Dirty + bad service = thumbs down. -
Review from D J.
Washington, DC
3/18/2007
Went here late on a Saturday morning, and were seated immediately.
The food was great....standard diner menu, but I loved the fresh fruit on top of my waffle.
Service was fast and very friendly.
Our only complaint is that the place was PACKED with little kids...it was very loud, and crowded by the front door and cash register, so it took awhile to get to the register to pay. The area we were seated in was not quite as crazy, but the main dining area was like a zoo! -
Review from Jessica L.
Chevy Chase, MD
10/3/2010
Great local place for breakfast! I went there on a Sunday around 12:30pm and expecting a wait. We were seated immediately and there were also a few empty tables around us. I ordered 2 sides: short stack of pancakes and some home fries - excellent! For a side order of pancakes, I think I got like 6 or 7 - definitely a meal in itself!
The only con would be the screaming kids, but I guess it's just part of the whole "family-friendly atmosphere". Prices are a little on the higher side, but definitely a better brunch place than the other local places around. Would I go there again? For sure!
