Business & Tech

Where's O'Rourke's? Kitchen Daily Lists America's 10 Best Diners

One just has to walk by Main Street in Middletown to see a line snaking down the sidewalk to know this city's most popular breakfast spot is O'Rourke's Diner.

We happened upon a Kitchen Daily story chronicling America's Best Diners today and bet our breakfast that Middletown's own O'Rourke's Diner would make the list — and then were shocked to find it omitted. 

One just has to walk by 728 Main Street in Middletown any Sunday morning to see a line of people snaking down the sidewalk to know this city's most popular breakfast spot is the inimitable O'Rourke's Diner.

The now famous Mountain View-style O'Rourke's Diner, a landmark in Middletown since it arrived here in 1946, was established in 1941 by current owner Brian O'Rourke's father John. In August 2006, an electrical fire destroyed the building and it took a year and a half of fundraising from community donations to reopen it.

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O'Rourke's even had its own 15 minutes of fame when it was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives show with host Guy Fieri on Dec. 1, 2008 (and you can check out the video attached to this story).

Favorites include the steamed cheeseburgers, "smoked-up" hash, omelets of every possible taste and banana-bread French toast. 

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Of course, Middletown boasts two other such classic American-style eateries — the Athenian Diner II on Washington Street, whose Strawberry Cheesecake the Wes Stuffed, the Wesleyan University food reviewers, dubbed "pretty darn delicious," and Ford News Diner on Main Street, termed a deal with "friendly service, good company, and a darn good meal."

Here are the diners that did make Kitchen Daily's list: 

  • Langer's Delicatessan, Los Angeles
  • Mickey's Diner, St. Paul, Minn.
  • Blue Benn, Bennington, Vt.
  • A1 Diner, Gardiner, Maine
  • Brent's Drugs, Jackson, Miss.
  • Tops Coffee Shop, San Francisco
  • Town Topic Hamburgers, Kansas City, Mo.
  • Modern Snack Bar, Long Island, N.Y.
  • Harry's Coffee Shop, La Jolla, Calif.
  • Stage Restaurant, New York City

Have you eaten at any of these "top" diners? Which is your favorite and why? Or are you smitten with Middletown's O'Rourke's? Tell us why in the comments below.

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