24 Diner

Sayyid Webber

My first experience at 24 Diner on North Lamar was excellent. The atmosphere was screaming bring the squad, but sadly everyone was busy so I decided to go by myself. 24 Diner is open 24/7. The porch was open and inviting, the hosts look all friendly  The bar looked open and ready to seat at least eight more people. The tables in the middle are bustling with college students of all sizes. The atmosphere was welcoming and warm I did not feel very cold at all which is a huge problem with quite a few restaurants.Sometimes I am very sensitive to really chilly restaurants.  Farm to Table was very heavily implied. Farm to table means from the Farm/ranch, to the restaurant, to your plate. The drink selection took up half the menu and then some, though I almost forgot I was in a diner.

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When I walked in, I was in awe of how many people were here on a Wednesday night . After catching myself lost in thought, a couple of the hosts asked to sit me down. They gave me an option to sit at the bar or at a table booth combo. I chose to sit at the cool table booth combo they have going on. As I sat down the booth was not the most comfortable but I’m not picky. The waitress was very kind and the first thing she did was sit a water at my table and asked me if I wanted anything. I ended up choosing from their wide coffee selection from drip coffee to cappuccino, I ended up choosing the drip coffee. I needed a refill quickly after she walked off. Even though the Drip coffee was the cheapest option, it was a good option. It was very smooth and I got a cool little silver cream pouring tray.

The appetizer menu was small but filled formidable options like chilli cheese fries and corn fritters. I ordered the corn fritters and the bruschetta. The corn fritters were nothing that I expected, at this point in my life I was a corn fritter virgin. They blew my socks off! They were knockout delicious the remoulade was very forgettable and really didn’t need a place on the plate. The bruschetta was like eating a garden (without the dirt), so light, elegant, airy, and creamy. I got some tomato, eggplant, and basil were the star players on this italian delight. Honestly, I think I ate it wrong, the only problem I had was the bread was tough to cut through with the given utensils (a butter knife). The bad part about the appetizer service it should only take like 5-15 minutes for appetizers, it took like 20 or so minutes. was timing but that’s all minor because the diner was busy.

The main course, the chicken and waffles, was great too! It was steamy and crusty, soft but tender, and the cross section was beautiful. The syrup was amazing, like there was a maple tree was right outside (in the middle of Austin) and it was being tapped right behind the restaurant. The chicken, the most difficult to cook out of the two, was so tender and added a savory taste that the waffles needed to complete this classic combo. The waffles were fluffy and were  there to add a new depth of texture. They had other options like their easy winners like the Patty Melt, 24 Hash, and French toast. I didn’t get to try either of those food items but I do hope to try them out in the future.

24 Diner was the dining experience I wasn’t looking for but it was it definitely didn’t disappoint. I was not expecting the excellence that it achieved.  I was blown away by the style and farm to table ingredients. The only complaint that is really minor that I touched up on again was timing of food but it is reasonably understandable due to the high volume of people. I do recommend for anyone who is out late to stop by and give them a try, they are always open.