Sometimes after a trawl round the shops, delicate salads, fancy food and handcrafted drinks just won’t do the trick – what you want is an old familiar with a little toe-tapping music added to the scene.
Welcome to Ed’s Diner in the heart of the Metrocentre. With neon signs, cosy little booths complete with juke boxes and a full size (painted!) model of a 1950s waitress to welcome you it’s a blast from the past – or a reincarnation from Happy Days, depending on your age.
It’s a popular place with all ages. On our last visit, a Sunday, it had everything from high chairs to wheelchairs packed in, as the queue outside grew.
The menu, as you would expect, is a magnificent selection of burger and hot dogs, and it now has a few new dishes added too. I chose the chicken and bacon with barbecue sauce which was served with chips, onion rings and coleslaw. Next time I might ask them to hold the coleslaw which was a bit too vinegary for me, but the rest was delicious. My other half went for the all day breakfast burger, which was a monster meal, but he still got through it all.
On previous visits I’ve enjoyed burgers and also the chilli, which is served with a bun. It is a good size portion and very tasty, more flavoursome than hot.
A whole range of milk shakes are available, but we went for the unlimited soft drinks and refillable coffees.
No room for a pudding this time, but I can definitely recommend the cheesecake.
One word of warning, although the loos are on the same level, the doors are very heavy and stiff.
We’ve visited here many times, either as a couple or with friends, and we have always found the staff to be very cheerful and that’s really added to the occasion. There is a loyalty card you can sign up for. You need to register online and can then receive emails with offers, such as half price food on weekdays, usually offered a couple of times a year, and other treats. Every visit you accumulate points and we actually had enough to eat free last time, so it’s worth signing up. I’ve put what it would have cost in this review, rather than raise folk’s hopes for a freebie every time!
This is a restaurant chain, so look out for one in your area and step back in time!
