Double T Diner

The Scene
Started in 1959, this local chain references its natal decade with broadly executed, non-invasive design elements. Patrons won't find waitresses in poodle skirts or chefs with Elvis hairdos. Instead, expansive dining areas--twice the size of their milkshake-making predecessors--feature countless high-backed booths with formica tables and a small counter with padded, spinning stools. Located primarily alongside highways, these tamed down truck spots have successfully targeted the SUV-driving masses.

The Food
Quantity takes precedence over quality in a menu that fills one oversized, laminated spiral notebook with ease. Eggs, burgers, sandwiches and salads are all accounted for with expected fare coming in myriad variations. That means pancakes are topped by strawberries, blueberries, chocolate chips or apple raisin cinnamon as well as syrup; poultry and fish are prepared alfredo, marsala and caprese. A handful of Greek specialties acknowledge the founders' ethnicity but this bustling enterprise is more a tribute to the American entrepreneur than a Mediteranean expatriate.