Diners in the USA

Our guide to diners

American restaurants cover a lot of ground: the neighborhood diner with a counter and bottomless coffee, the family restaurant with a long laminated menu, the gastropub doing elevated comfort food, and the “New American” kitchen that builds a short seasonal menu around local farms. What ties them together is a menu built on familiar staples – burgers, sandwiches, salads, steaks, fried chicken and pasta – plus regional favorites that change as you cross the country.

Regional dishes are the best reason to seek out a local American place rather than a chain: a hot brown in Louisville, a pork tenderloin sandwich in Indiana, green chile cheeseburgers in New Mexico, chowder in New England or a loco moco in Hawaii. Ask what the kitchen is known for – the answer is often something you will not find on the other side of the state line.

Opening hours

Based on 505 diners across the US with published hours, the typical weekday schedule runs from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. 91% are open on Sundays, 80% are open seven days a week and 18% stay open until 10 PM or later.

Prices

Across 181 menus from diners across the US, the median item costs $10.99; half of all priced items fall between $6.15 and $16.05. The most common menu sections are Beverages, Appetizers, Salads, and Sides.

Services

Of 182 diners with detailed profiles in our guide: 100% list “dine-in”, 96% list “good for kids”, 95% list “delivery”, 93% list “high chairs”, 91% list “accepts reservations”, and 89% list “kids' menu”.