Spirit of America Bookstore

American  Roadside  Diners
and Coffee  Shops

Roadside diners still have a nostalgic pull, and many remain in operation, in small towns
and in big cities across America, and are even imitated around the world.

links to diners, chains & museums     ä     books     ä     recipes     ä     movies & TV

Restaurant / Diner / Cafe category at AllPosters.com

Diner Museum in Rhode Island
'Diner City' online diner directory
'Googie' coffeeshop architecture site
Diner Exhibit at Culinary Archives & Museum in RI [May 2003 to June 2008]

Dot's Diner [built 1957; restored 1997] in Bisbee, AZ
New Jersey Diners
66 Diner in Albuquerque, NM
Ohio Diners
New England Diners
Directory of Diners in Massachusetts
Agawan Diner [built 1950] in Rowley, MA   ["the world's best restaurant" per Robert B. Parker]
Moody's Diner [est. 1927] in Waldoboro, Maine

Diners in California

Lido Diner in Newport Beach, CA
Bette's Ocean View Diner in Berkeley, CA
Save Johnie's Broiler in Downey, CA
Save the Crossroads Drive-In in Santa Cruz, CA
historic Bob's Big Boy Toluca Lake [1949] in Burbank, CA
City Diner #1 on Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, CA
City Diner #2 [opening 2/2008] on Monterey Road in San Jose, CA
Studio Diner {open 24 hours}, 4701 Ruffin Road in San Diego

Outside the U.S.A.
German-language site about American diners
Mel's Diner in Hannover, Germany
Caddy's Diner in Purmerend, Netherlands

Chain Diner & Coffeeshop Companies

A & W Root Beer chain [est. 1919]
Big Boy Restaurants LLC [est. 1934] official website
Blake's Lotaburger Drive-Ins {75 locations in New Mexico}
Culver's ButterBurgers & Frozen Custard [est. 1984] in Midwest & Texas
Huddle House [est. 1964] {almost 400 locations in USA}
Johnny Rockets chain [est. 1986]
Mel's Diner chain
Norm's Restaurants chain [est. 1949]
Penny's Diners [at Oak Tree Inn / Lodging Enterprises] {websites parked since 2005}
Ruby's Diner chain [est. 1980]
Sonic: America's Drive-Ins: website • locator map
Waffle House® Restaurants [est. 1955]

Books  on  Diners

	"Classic American Diners: Collectible Postcards & Matchcovers" [2007] by Don Preziosi Schiffer Publng 8¾x11¼ hardcover [2/2007] for $31.96
	"Googie Redux: Ultramodern Roadside Architecture" [2004] by Alan Hess Chronicle Books 11x8½ pb [11/2004] for $16.97
	"Diners, Bowling Alleys and Trailer Parks: Chasing The American Dream In Postwar Consumer Culture" [2001] by Andrew Hurley Basic Books 8x5 pb [2/2002] for $17.95 Basic Books 8½x6 hardcover [2/2001] out of print
	"Cafes & Coffee Shops" [1995 & 2001] by Martin Pegler Vol 2: Watson-Guptill 12¼x9½ hardcover [12/2001] for $27.17 Vol 1: R.R.B.PUB 12½x9½ hardcover [6/95] out of print/used
	"Diners: American Retro" [2000] Edited by Alison Moss Sourcebooks 6¾x6½ hardcover [10/2000] for $10.36
	"Hometown Diners" [1999] by Robert O. Williams Harry N Abrams 10x10¼ hardcover [4/99] for $29.95
	"The American Diner" [1999] by Michael Karl Witzel Motorbooks Intl 10¼x10¼ hardcover [4/99] for $20.97
	"Diners: People & Places" [1998] by Gerd Kittel Thames & Hudson 8¼x9¼ pb [8/98] for $12.57
	"Car Hops and Curb Service: A History of American Drive-In Restaurants 1920-1960" [1996] by Jim Heimann Chronicle Books 11x8½ pb [4/96] out of print/used
	"Hamburger Heaven: The Illustrated History of the Hamburger" [1993] by Jeffrey Tennyson Hyperion Books 11x8½ pb [3/95] out of print/used Hyperion Books hardcover [9/93] out of print/used
	"American Diner: Then and Now" [1993] by Richard J. S. Gutman Johns Hopkins Univ Press 7¼x9¼ pb [11/2000] for $11.97
	"Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture of American Chain Restaurants" [1986] by Philip Langdon Knopf pb [5/86] out of print/used Knopf hardcover [5/86] out of print/used
	"Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture" [1986] by Alan Hess Chronicle Books 7½x10 pb [2/86] out of print/used
	"Diners" [1978] paintings by photo-realist John Baeder Harry N. Abrams 8¾x11½ pb [2/95] for $19.95 John Baeder posters

Books  of  Diner  Recipes

	"More Retro Diner: A Second Helping of Roadside Recipes" [2005] cookbook by Randy Garbin & Teri Dunn Collectors Press 8¼x9 hardcover [9/2005] for $11.53
	"Retro Breakfast: Memorable Meals Morning, Noon, or Night" [2004] cookbook by Linda Everett & Richard Perry Collectors Press 8¼x9 hardcover [4/2004] out of print/used
	"Retro Diner: Comfort Food from the American Roadside" [2002] cookbook by Linda Everett Collectors Press pb [10/2002] for $16.95
	"The American Diner Cookbook: Celebrating An American Tradition - More Than 450 Delicious Recipes & Nostalgia Galore" [1996] cookbook by Elizabeth McKeon & Linda Everett Cumberland House 9x6¾ pb [2/2003] for $16.95

Movies  &  TV  About  Diners

"Waitress"  [Fox Searchlight May 2007]

A romantic comedy-fantasy about a waitress who bakes wonderful pies, is unhappily married to a brute, and gets the hots for her handsome married obstetrician. Written & directed by and starring Adrienne Shelly [1966-2006]; also starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto, Andy Griffith, Eddie Jemison & Lew Temple; listed #9 on TIME Top Ten Best Movies of The Year (12/2007) Fox widescreen color DVD [11/2007] for $19.99   Fox color DVD [11/2007] for $19.99   full credits from IMDb • official movie site

"The  Blue  Diner"  [independent April 2001]

On her 26th birthday, a Latina loses the ability to speak Spanish. She argues with her mother (janitor at a museum), feels caught between two admirers (one Latino, one Irish), and misses her father (gone since childhood) – issues dealt with at the Blue Diner, run by Papo (from Cuba). Co-written & directed by Jan Egleson; co-written by Natatcha Estébanez; starring Lisa Vidal, Miriam Colon, Jose Yenque & William Marquez First Look Pictures color DVD [6/2003] for $9.98 First Look Pictures color VHS [6/2003] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb

"American Experience: Burger Town - America's Love Affair With The Hamburger" [PBS special 1997] Koch/Shanachie color VHS [11/98] for $19.98

"The  Spitfire  Grill"  [Castle Rock Aug 1996]

Written & directed by Lee David Zlotoff; starring Alison Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden, Will Patton & Kieran Mulroney Castle Rock widescreen DVD [11/2001] for $13.48 Castle Rock color VHS [9/99] for $19.98 Sony soundtrack CD [8/96] for $11.98 full credits from IMDb

"Bagdad Cafe" aka 'Out of Rosenheim'
[Germany April 1988]

Co-written & directed by Percy Adlon; starring Marianne Sägebrecht, CCH Pounder, Jack Palance, Christine Kaufmann & Monica Calhoun MGM/UA widescreen DVD [7/2001] for $17.98 MGM/UA color VHS [3/2000] out of stock/used Great Jones soundtrack CD [10/90] for $11.98 full credits from IMDb tv series [1990]: credits from IMDb

"Diner" [M.G.M. March 1982]

A 'watershed' movie: the writer/director and main actors were all unknowns and went on to greater fame afterward. Written & directed by Barry Levinson; starring Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Timothy Daly, Ellen Barkin & Michael Tucker; nominated for WGA & Oscar for Best Screenplay Warner widescreen color DVD [4/2002] for $12.99 Warner color VHS [4/2001] for $14.95 Elektra/Asylum soundtrack CD [6/89] for $11.98 full credits from IMDb half-hour tv series pilot [1983]: credits from IMDb Three Screenplays: "Avalon", "Diner", "Tin Men" [1990] Atlantic Monthly Press 8¼x5½ pb [11/90] for $10.36

"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
[Warner Bros. Dec 1974]

Another 'watershed' movie: A newly-widowed mother pulls up stakes and heads to California to resume a singing career; she gets a job singing at a bar in Phoenix, but the man she takes up with is married and abusive; a new job as a waitress in Tucson leads to romance with a gentle farmer. Directed by Martin Scorsese; starring Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter III, Billy Green Bush, Harvey Keitel, Diane Ladd, Vic Tayback, Valerie Curtin, Kris Kristofferson & Jodie Foster {then age 12}; won Oscar for Best Actress (EB), nominated for Best Script, Best Supporting Actress (DL); won 4 BAFTA Awards of 7 noms Warner Home Video widescreen color DVD [8/2004] for $17.99 Warner color VHS [2/96] out of prodn/many used full credits from IMDb

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