Breakfast In Columbus

1144 N High St, 43201

Phone: 291-8512

A tiny, classic diner with stainless steel counters; no tables or booths. Outside it looks like it’s falling apart, even with the improvements and paint put into it over the past year or so — you shouldn’t seen it BEFORE they spruced it up! It’s cleaner inside now.

You’d think the place would be cheap from the looks of it.  It’s not particularly cheap.  But it’s a fair value because, hey, the food is good.

The coffee is decent diner coffee; maybe a little better than average.

I got the spinach omelet with tomato, onion, and mushroom.  The veggies were plentiful and fresh, even the mushrooms.  It was delicious.  It had real cheese on it, and in it.

The potatoes were very tasty.  The toast wasn’t artisan, but it wasn’t crap either; it tasted good.

Friendly service from both the waitress and the cook.

The bill was added up wrong today; when I looked at it it said $12 – that would have been too much.  I pointed it out and they added it up again, and it came to $9, which is a decent value.

If you like classic, neighborhood diners, this is a place you’ll want to have experienced.

2563 N High St, 43202

Phone: 263-0242

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Web Site: http://www.jackandbennys.com

I guess the most notable thing about Jack and Benny’s is how much people rave about it, and the big crowds, even though there’s really nothing special going on here.

Jack and Benny’s does a whopping business;  on weekends there are often people lined up outside the door. I’m not sure why.  Jack and Benny’s isn’t bad; it’s all right.  But the number of people who give this place raving, 5-star reviews is puzzling to me. (So was the same phenomenon with regard to Nancy’s before it closed.)  “Best Breakfast” four or five years in a row???  Come on!  It’s OK, but it’s absolutely NOT the best breakfast. Then again, those “Best Breakfast” awards are from the same audience that votes for Bob Evans as best breakfast.   It’s about average for a diner, in some ways maybe slightly better than average, in some ways maybe slightly below average. Maybe it’s fashionable – people praise it because other people praise it?  Is it the only not-terrible diner that’s well-known among OSU fans?   Well, there’s Tommy’s, which is better and is also popular with OSU fans, but that’s further away from campus. (I think a lot of the people who say how wonderful this place is just don’t have much experience with eating breakfast out.  A lot of them write that Jack and Benny’s is small – it’s really not small at all compared to other diners in town.)

At first it looks like the breakfast menu is huge, but then you may notice that every tiny variation gets its own menu name and listing.   So it’s really mostly traditional local breakfast food with a lot of Latin-American variation added.

Coffee is decent diner coffee.

Today I had Huevos Rancheros.  It was OK, with fresh vegetable ingredients.  There was plenty of it.

My total was $9.  Average value.

1881 S High St, 43207
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Phone 444-7590

The menu says it’s been there since 1951, and it’s got a ’50′s decor and atmosphere.  “Classic American Diner” is the theme, although it’s got a fair number of Greek, or Greek-influenced, items on the menu.

I like Dan’s.  I had trouble deciding where to eat breakfast this morning. First I thought I’d go to Waffle House. Then I thought people might be interested in the Ohio Restaurant on South High, but when I got in the neighborhood I knew I would like the food at Dan’s food more, so that’s where I ended up.

Dan’s Drive In has a large breakfast menu, so there are lots of choices. There are traditional midwest country breakfast dishes like biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, pork chops and eggs, grilled balogna and eggs, various skillet dishes, pancakes, french toast, and a bunch of omelets. I’m partial to the Greek Omelet, myself.  I’ve been here with other people a few times, and they enjoyed the french toast and the vegetarian omelet.

Good breakfast potatoes here; home fries nice and crispy.

Dan’s has pretty good coffee for a diner.

Today's Special: Stuffed Greek Omelet