Tastee Diner
Encyclopedia
Tastee Diner is a small franchise
of diner
s in the suburban Washington, DC area established in 1935. There are three Tastee Diner locations in the US
state of Maryland
: Bethesda
, Laurel
, and Silver Spring
. Tastee Diner serves a wide variety of authentic American food, with a heavy emphasis on breakfast, and pie. They are all open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and rarely close, if ever.
The Silver Spring branch of the diner was made an historic landmark in Montgomery County
in 1994. It received national attention on June 17, 2000 when it was moved from its original location on Georgia Ave.
to its new location on Cameron St. This was done in order to free up the land for use by Discovery Communications
, which had purchased the property to serve as the site of their headquarters building.
Tastee Diner is one of the last original, authentic American diners. The atmosphere and cuisine are classic Americana
. The diners all include a front area with a counter bar and stools bolted to the floor, a juke-box with access from every booth and acerbic, yet efficient wait staff. Menu items include classic hamburgers, an array of melts (tuna, chicken, etc.), french fries
served with various condiments, endless cups of coffee and, more recently, beer and wine.
Tastee Diner's influence on the mainstream culture in the Washington area has been the subject of various news articles, including several from the Washington Post, which labeled it "The Most Famous Diner in Montgomery County."
Several celebrities
and politician
s have been spotted eating at the diners, over the years.
.
In June 2000, the original railcar
portion of the diner was moved to a new location on Cameron St. in a scene immortalized in Bill Griffith's famous comic-strip, Zippy the Pinhead
. The move was necessary to save the diner after Discovery Communications (owner of the Discovery Channel
) purchased the land that Tastee Diner's owners had been leasing for over 50 years, but did not actually own.
Since the original building (not counting expansions built, over the years) was listed as an historic landmark in Montgomery County, local and state money was funneled into the construction of a new restaurant to which the original railcar module was attached.
. The building has a 3-bay structure, with its stainless steel rectangle attached to a yellow brick kitchen and service wing. Originally owned by three members of the S & T Realty Company, the diner was sold to M & W Tastee Foods in 1982. This property is said to be one of only two surviving Comac diners, the other in Albany, New York
.
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
of diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
s in the suburban Washington, DC area established in 1935. There are three Tastee Diner locations in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
: Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Laurel
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street...
, and Silver Spring
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
. Tastee Diner serves a wide variety of authentic American food, with a heavy emphasis on breakfast, and pie. They are all open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and rarely close, if ever.
The Silver Spring branch of the diner was made an historic landmark in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
in 1994. It received national attention on June 17, 2000 when it was moved from its original location on Georgia Ave.
Georgia Avenue
Georgia Avenue is a major north-south artery in Northwest Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland. Within the District of Columbia and a short distance in Silver Spring, Maryland, Georgia Avenue is also U.S. Route 29...
to its new location on Cameron St. This was done in order to free up the land for use by Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. is an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39...
, which had purchased the property to serve as the site of their headquarters building.
Tastee Diner is one of the last original, authentic American diners. The atmosphere and cuisine are classic Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
. The diners all include a front area with a counter bar and stools bolted to the floor, a juke-box with access from every booth and acerbic, yet efficient wait staff. Menu items include classic hamburgers, an array of melts (tuna, chicken, etc.), french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
served with various condiments, endless cups of coffee and, more recently, beer and wine.
Tastee Diner's influence on the mainstream culture in the Washington area has been the subject of various news articles, including several from the Washington Post, which labeled it "The Most Famous Diner in Montgomery County."
Several celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s have been spotted eating at the diners, over the years.
Bethesda location
The Bethesda location was the first one to open in 1935. On June 21, 2002, it suffered extensive damage in a fire, and re-opened approximately two months later.Silver Spring location
The Silver Spring location, currently owned by Gene Wilkes, was originally installed in 1946 at the corner of Wayne Ave. and Georgia Ave., and was built by the Jerry O'Mahony Diner CompanyJerry O'Mahony Diner Company
The Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company of Elizabeth, New Jersey, whose motto was "In our line, We lead the world", was said to have produced 2,000 diners from 1917 to 1941, and became the largest manufacturer of its period. The roadside diners referred to are long, narrow, primarily metal buildings,...
.
In June 2000, the original railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
portion of the diner was moved to a new location on Cameron St. in a scene immortalized in Bill Griffith's famous comic-strip, Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy the Pinhead
Zippy is an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. The character of Zippy the Pinhead initially appeared in underground publications during the 1970s...
. The move was necessary to save the diner after Discovery Communications (owner of the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
) purchased the land that Tastee Diner's owners had been leasing for over 50 years, but did not actually own.
Since the original building (not counting expansions built, over the years) was listed as an historic landmark in Montgomery County, local and state money was funneled into the construction of a new restaurant to which the original railcar module was attached.
Laurel location
The current Tastee Diner in Laurel was constructed in 1951, having been prefabricated by Comac and delivered by truck from Vineland, New JerseyVineland, New Jersey
Vineland is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 60,724...
. The building has a 3-bay structure, with its stainless steel rectangle attached to a yellow brick kitchen and service wing. Originally owned by three members of the S & T Realty Company, the diner was sold to M & W Tastee Foods in 1982. This property is said to be one of only two surviving Comac diners, the other in Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.